Renewable para-xylene from acetic acid

Abstract

A process is described for making renewable para-xylene, comprising converting acetic acid to isobutene in the presence of a catalyst then converting the acetic acid-derived isobutene to a product composition including para-xylene. The catalyst can be a Zn x Zr y O z mixed oxide catalyst.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A process for making para-xylene, comprising converting acetic acid to isobutene in the presence of a mixed oxide catalyst comprising a formula of Zn x Zr y O z , wherein the ratio of x:y is from 1:100 to 10:1 and z is a stoichiometric integer for the mixed oxide catalyst, then converting the isobutene to a product composition including para-xylene. 
     
     
       2. The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the conversion of the isobutene to the paraxylene comprises oxidation of the isobutene. 
     
     
       3. The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the conversion of the isobutene to paraxylene comprises:
 dimerizing the isobutene in the presence of an oligomerization catalyst to form a dimerization product comprising one or more C 8  alkenes; and 
 dehydrocyclizing at least a portion of the C 8  alkenes in the presence of a dehydrocyclization catalyst to form the product composition including para-xylene. 
 
     
     
       4. The process according to either of  claim 2  or  claim 3 , wherein the product composition further comprises one or both of ortho-xylene and meta-xylene, and wherein the para-xylene is produced selectively compared to ortho-xylene and meta-xylene in the product composition. 
     
     
       5. The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the mixed oxide catalyst contains less than 0.14 percent by weight of sulfur. 
     
     
       6. The process according to  claim 5 , wherein the mixed oxide catalyst contains less than 0.01 percent by weight of sulfur. 
     
     
       7. The process according to  claim 6 , wherein the mixed oxide catalyst contains less than 0.001 percent by weight of sulfur. 
     
     
       8. The process according to  claim 1  or any one of  claims 5 - 7 , wherein x:y is from 1:30 to 1:1. 
     
     
       9. The process according to  claim 8 , wherein x:y is from 1:20 to 1:5. 
     
     
       10. The process according to  claim 9 , wherein x:y is from 1:12 to 1:10. 
     
     
       11. The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the acetic acid is obtained at least in part by fermentation of one or more of five- and six-carbon sugars. 
     
     
       12. The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the acetic acid is obtained at least in part through an oxidative fermentation from ethanol. 
     
     
       13. The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the acetic acid is obtained at least in part by carbonylation of methanol. 
     
     
       14. The process according to  claim 13 , wherein the methanol is obtained at least in part by combining carbon dioxide generated from biomass and hydrogen.